New Jack City: Alamo Drafthouse, ‘I Paid $10 to See a Movie, Not to Watch Your Cell Phone Light’

Allow me to throw in my two cents worth in on ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE CINEMAS’ entry into the Kansas City movie market via its upcoming takeover of downtown’s AMC MAINSTREET…

One of my biggest beefs with inconsiderate moviegoers is their use of cell phones—yes actually talking on them during a show. That and texting while I’m trying to watch a movie – which is just as bad.
That glowing screen in a dark auditorium is annoying as hell.

So hats off to Tim League, the CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema chain for implementing the strictest No Talking-No Texting at the movies policy in the country.

Putting himself in a theater guests position League said it best when he recently told an interviewer, "At the Alamo Drafthouse, we have a simple rule. If you talk or text during a movie, we kick you out."

So when League recently received an irate voice mail from a young woman, he did what few other heads of companies would dare. He made the bold move of posting the woman’s profane phone message as part of Alamo’s image-marketing campaign.

For your reading enjoyment I present the text of of the R-rated message as it was phoned in to Alamo’s home office and in turn, was set up on line by Alamo with specific emphasis on certain words. Enjoy.

"AT THE ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE, WE HAVE A SIMPLE RULE:
IF YOU TALK OR TEXT DURING THE MOVIE, WE KICK YOU OUT.
SOMETIMES THAT PISSES THE MOVIE TALKER OFF.
WHAT FOLLOWS IS AN ACTUAL VOICE MAIL A CUSTOMER LEFT US AFTER BEING KICKED OUT."

"Yeah, I was wondering if you guys actually enjoy treating your CUSTOMERS like a pieces of shit? Because that’s how I felt when I went to the Alamo Drafthouse.
Okay?
"You know what, I didn’t know that I wasn’t supposed to text in your crappy ass theater. It was too fucking dark in that place for me to find my seat.
All right?
I was using my PHOOONE as a FLASHLIGHT to get to my fucking seat.
"So EXCUSE ME for using MY phone in the USA-Magnited States of America where yet–you are FREE to TEXT in a THE-A-TER!
I was not AWARE that I couldn’t text in your theater.
All right?
"I’ve texted in ALL the other theatres in Austin, and no one ever gave a fuck about what me-I was doing on my fuckin’ phone.
All right?
And it was on SILENT. It wasn’t on LOUD–it wasn’t BOTHERING anybody.
"You guys, obviously, were being assholes to ME…AND I’m SURE that’s what you do, you know, to rip people off.
You take my money and then you throw me out.
You know? I will NEVER BE comin’ back to your Alamo Drafthouse or whatever.
I’d rather go to the reglear theater, where people are actually polite.
"Ainit-you know? I’m gonna tell EVERYONE about how SHITTY you are. And I’m pretty sure you guys are being assholes on purpose.
"So thanks for making me FEEL like a customer. Thanks for taking my money-ASSHOLE!"

The caller’s voicemail was followed by this written response from Alamo:

I wholeheartedly support AlamoWhen the Avengers was released I went to a Dickenson theater that I frequent. A group of teenagers were talking and using their phones throughout the movie. I ended up yelling at them to shut the hell up. It worked for the most part but I could still hear them talking every now and then. It COMPLETELY ruined my experience. I normally don’t go to the theaters because of this but only for movies I REALLY want to see in the theater. These rude and inconsiderate posers just need to get a life and turn the damn phone off. It’s not just teenagers either by the way. A lot of younger adults do it too. I’m all for this strict rule. Too bad it’s downtown.

I love it. It’s about time theaters began doing things like this. A lot of people are addicted to their phones and they don’t even know it, or they won’t acknowledge it. I would love to be ringside at the Alamo Drafthouse when they show some self-absorbed texting a-hole toward the door.

Once again – how in the world did people manage to sit through a movie 15-20 years ago without clutching a smart phone??

The same way they rode covered wagons across the country…before they had cars. However the covered wagons are gone, the smartphones are here and people are not going to ignore them regardless of how many ancient mariners cheer their ouster for checking to make the sure the kids are OK when they receive a text from the sitter during The Avengers.